Portable ice skating floor



May 3, 1949. ,-V 1' I 2,469,021

PORTABLE ICE SKATING FLOOR Filed May 2, 1947 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

INVENTOR.

HERMAN VETTER ATTORNEYS May 3, 1949. VETTER 2,469,021

PORTABLE ICE SKATING FLOOR Filed May 2, 1947 v v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

l5. I4 463 18.60 27 35 50" 22 9O g3 25 5O FIG. 4. I F' FIG. 7. HG 6 43 g5 3 22 32 2 ;4' 28 29 2 L i L 27 37 3s 44 27 III'III.

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' INVENTOR. HERMAN VETTER ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1949 PATENT 'QFFF ICE "PORTABIJE GE SKATING FLOOR Herman l t er, aAn c s Calif-l Application M25312, 1947', serial No. 745,470

to provide an ice rink construction embody-ina e plurality of interchangeable hollowfl'oon sections whichare lndividuallyadapted to be detach-ably secured to-each other-or to a conduit supplying refrigerant 'It is a further object to provide a construction whichcan be readily dismantled into convenientl-yportable sections suitable for transportation "to a new site. In this connectionit is arr-object to provide floor sections which; are made up-in such a -manner that theynnay'be easily racked or stacked on a'truck or railwaycar.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a means for resilient-l hol'ding the'floorsections together as a unit whrle permitting them-to expand and contract in the plane of the floor.

Iti's also, an obiect ofthe invention to provide a ,floor type rink construction wherein means are provided 'for forming an improved indirect circulation path for the refrigerant, through the fioor and the individual sections or thefl'oor.

It is a still'further object of the invention "to provide an improved means for suppoliting-the floor sections.

"These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings, which are merely for illustrative purposes. Referring to the dllawings:

Fig. l is a schematic plan View of-an-ice skating rink-embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 21is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one corner section c r-the rinksho-wn'in Fig. 1', the section being;partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is afrag-mentary section on line- '33-of 'Fig: 2

Fig; 4 is airagmentary-sectlon onl-ine 4--lof Fis- Fig; 5 is an enlarged frag'mentarysectional plan of the coupling rneansfor--the-fluidconduit at one end of thesection Fig. '6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional plan of the ends on twoadj acent floor-'- sections showingthe connecting means therefor-7 for the pafi age of'brine. brine will be used 'in the sense that it includes this a, fragmentary section on line 8:8 of Fig; 2 and.

Fig. '9. is an-enlarged detail-section showing the means, securingeal cross. beam :to a floor section.

More particularly describing the invention, referring to Fig. \1, refierencenumeral: H generally indicatesan ice skating-rink floor which i's-formed of a plurality of sections l2-. Any number-of such sections m-ayrbe used and, as later will become apparent, =the-- sectionsare adapted to bedetachably joined. at theirendsand' the sections at the .sideof the rink connected to branch conduits 1-4 leading from a main conduit. Reference numeral l dindicates a 'main supply pipe or supply conduit and-reference numeral I 6-a main return pipe or conduit.

Preferably the floor as a whole is bounded by a curb l8-and-a-plurality of resilient curb holders 20 provided at spaced points around the curb for; yieldablyurging the, curb against the sections making upthefloor.

Referring now. toliigsiZ-Q inclusive for a more detailed description of the construction, each of the sections I2 includes a top or floor plate 22 upon which the, sheet of ice is supported. Be-

low the flooriplate is a bottom plate '23 which cooperates with the top plate and suitable side walls 2%,;24 to, form a substantially elongated rectangular space or chamber 25? between the two plates 'for the circulation of refrigerant.v At each end of the section there is provided a header or header box 26' which depends from the floor sectiqnand includes the end wall 21, inner wall 28 and bottom wall 29'; The bottom plate 23 forms the upper wall; of'the header and; in the form of the invention shown figs. 219, the plate is provided vwith a pair of openings 30. and 30', one at each end ofthe section providingcommunicationbetween thechamber 2'5 and; the headers Hereinafter the Word any suitable fluid refrigerant; which could be forced, through the floor sections and the rink as'a whole.

Preferably the sections, are provided with one Or morepartition walls to control the path taken by the brine'in passingzfrom the opening 36' at one end to the opening 13 0 at the,other, and in one 'form of the invention, the two partitions .32 and areshown, (Fig.2). The partition 32 extends from the outer wall" at one, end of the section to a point spaced from the opposite end of the sectionpleavingan opening-"3W. "The other partition extends inwardly from said opposite end of the section "to a point spaced from the other end wall, leaving an opening 35. With this construction, assuming that the brine enters the header nearest supply pipe [5 (Fig. 2), it will pass upwardly into the floor space through the opening and through the passageway defined by the outer wall of the section and the partition 32, around the end of the partition through opening 34, and return through the center passageway defined by the two partitions, pass around partition 33 through opening 35 and flow to and through opening 30' at the opposite end of the section.

Each section at its end is provided with an opening 36 disposed centrally of the end wall 21 for the passage of brine. Preferably this opening is defined by an inwardly curved lip 31 (Figs. 5 and 6) providing an annular recess 38. Extending through the header at each end, one on each side of the opening 36, is a pair of tubes 40 which receive bolts 4| securing adjacent sections (Fig. 6) or for securing a flanged fitting 43 (Fig. 5) to which a brine conduit may be attached. Preferably a resilient sealing ring 44 is provided between the lip portions 31 of the adjoining sections (Fig. 6) and between a section and the fitting 43 (Fig. 5) which is provided with an annular recess 45 to accommodate the ring.

It will be apparent that with this construction any section may be bolted to an adjoining section at one end or both ends or it may be attached at either or both ends to a brine conduit. Any suitable conduit means may be provided between the section and the main conduits, such for example as the hose 46 mounted on the fitting 43 at one end and on a pipe section 47 of the main pipe [5.

For the purpose of facilitating assembly of the sections and the mounting of them, each section is provided with a pair of supporting skids or cross beams 50 which are rigidly attached to the section and correspond in length to the width of the section. In Fig. 9 there is shown a means for attaching the beams which includes a bolt 5i, the head of which is recessed in the fioor and abuts an insert washer 52 which is welded in place between the upper and lower floor plates. The bolt extends through bore 53 in the beam and is provided with a nut 54 at its lower end which is received within a counter- F bore 55 in the beam.

When the sections are assembled they are joined together to form the desired configuration of the floor and the skids or cross beams 50 rest on main beams 58 which may extend the width of the floor or any desired length, the longitudinal axis of the beams being located in alignment with the side edges of adjoining sections so that the cross beams 50 of laterally adjacent sections will each be supported by the beam, extending to the center thereof, as shown 'inFig. 2.

The rink as a whole is preferably provided with a curb l8 which may consist of a plurality of suitable timbers such as 2 x 4's 88 around the periphery of the rink. The curb is yieldably held against the ring by the several resilient curb holding means 20 heretofore referred to. This means in each case includes a bracket 62 (Fig. 4) which at the side of the rink is supported on and bolted to the main beams 58 at a point spaced outwardly of the curb. This bracket forms an abutment for a spring 63 which yieldably presses against a curb plate 64, abut- ,ting the curb and preferabl extending under it,

for the purpose of d as shown, the plate being L-shaped. Means may be provided for contracting the spring and relieving the pressure thereof from the curb when desired, and such means may take the form of a stem 65 threadedly mounted in a boss 66 on the plate. The stem extends through a hole in the bracket and is pivotally secured off center to a handle 68 which bears against the outer surface of the bracket. The handle may be pivoted from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 to the broken line position for the purpose of contracting the spring.

As indicated in Fig. 8, at the ends of the rink the brackets 62 are necessarily mounted on special cross beams 50' which in the case of the end sections are formed to provide an extension 18 for this purpose.

This construction serves to hold the curb in position around the periphery of the rink and to hold the rink floor sections together while allowing for expansion and contraction thereof in the plane of the floor.

In Fig. 10 there is shown another form of floor section which differs from the form previously described in the location and arrangement of the partitions for controlling the flow pattern of the brine through the section. Referring to that figure, reference numeral 15 indicates the section generally which is provided with a top plate '16, a bottom plate 11, and headers 18 at each end. Located between the top and bottom plates are a plurality of partition elements so arranged that each end of the section is identical to the other. A partition wall extends longitudinally of the floor section in two sections 8| which are respectively adjacent the sides of the floor section and a middle section 82, the three longitudinally extending sections being connected at their ends by U-shaped portions or sections 83 which are spaced inwardly of the ends of the floor section. Additionally a pair of partition walls 85 are provided which respectively extend from the end wall inwardly to a point spaced from the U-shaped sections 83. At each end the bottom or lower plate 11 is apertured at 88 at diagonally opposed corners to provide communication between the floor space and the interior of the headers. With the construction shown it will be apparent that, assuming brine enters the lower header, it will leave the header through the opening 86 therein and flow toward the other end of the floor section and eventually reach the diagonally opposite opening 86 at the other end of the floor section and flow into the other header and out to the next adjoining section. In flowing from one end to the other the brine will follow the pattern indicated by the arrows on the figure and it will be apparent that it will twice reverse itself in passing through the floor section.

It will be apparent from the construction described that a rink construction has been provided which may be readily assembled at any site to meet the requirements as to size and shape necessitated by the site. It may also be quickly dismantled and moved to a new site. As previously pointed out, the individual floor sections l2 are provided with cross beams 58 which rest on longitudinally extending beams 58 and the entire floor, including the curb surrounding it, is held in place by the resilient curb holding means generally indicated by 20. It may be desirable to provide additional support for the floor and this may take the form, for example, of 2 x 4 timbers indicated at 90 (Fig, 3) secured together at their ends (not shown). Instead of providing special cross beams on the floor sections at the ends of the rink for supporting the individual curb holding elements 20, such elements can be mounted on selected timbers 9!].

It will be apparent that a highly flexible portable rink construction has been provided in which individual sections in any number may be bolted together to form a floor of desired size and shape. While the floor sections have been shown as rectangular since such shape is the most practical, it is contemplated that, where desired, sections having various shapes in plan may be used to produce special shaped rinks.

Although the invention has been particularly shown and described, it is contemplated that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. In ice rink construction, a plurality of hollow floor sections joined together in edge to edge relation constructed and arranged for circule. tion of a refrigerant therethrough, means forming a curb around said sections, and resilient means at spaced points along the outer side of said curb yieldably urging the curb against said sections.

2. In ice rink construction, a plurality of hollow floor sections joined together in edge to edge relation constructed and arranged for circulation of a refrigerant therethrough, supporting means for said floor sections including a plurality of spaced beams thereunder, means forming a curb around said sections, certain of said beams extending beyond said floor sections, means on the extended beams outwardly of said curb pro viding a plurality of abutments, and a spring means between each of said abutments and said curb for yieldably urging said curb against said floor sections.

3. In ice rink construction, a plurality of hollow floor sections joined together in edge to edge relation constructed and arranged for circulation of a refrigerant therethrough, means forming a curb around said floor sections, a plurality of abutments spaced around said curb outwardly thereof, spring means between said abutments and said curb yieldably urging said curb against said floor sections, and means for rendering said sprin means inoperative.

4. A floor section adapted to form part of an ice rink construction comprising plate means defining an elongated rectangular fiat shallow space through which a refrigerant can be circulated, and means formin a header box extending transversely of the section at each end thereof, said header boxes each having an opening at the end of the section, and an opening communicating with said space.

5. A hollow floor section adapted to form part of an ice rink construction comprising plate means defining an elongated rectangular fiat shallow space through which a refrigerant can be circulated, and means forming an enclosed header box extending transversely of the section at each end thereof, said header boxes each having an exterior opening providing communication between the exterior of the floor section and the interior of the header box at the end of the section and an interior opening providing communication between the interior of said header box and the interior of said space, and partition means dividing said space into fluid passageways extending indirectly from the interior opening into one header box to the interior opening into the other.

6. A floor section adapted to form part of an ice rink comprising a rectangular floor plate, a bottom plate spaced a relatively short distance below said floor plate, side and end walls connecting said floor and botto.. plates, and walls at each end of said section forming a header box extending transversely thereof and depending below said bottom plate, said header box having an opening in a wall thereof providing communication between the interior of the header box and the exterior of the floor section, said bottom plate having an opening into each of said headers.

7. A floor section adapted to form part of an ice rink comprising a rectangular floor plate, a bottom plate spaced a relatively short distance below said floor plate, side and end walls connecting said floor and bottom plates, walls at each end of said section forming a header box extending transversely thereof and depending below said bottom plate, said header box having an opening providing communication between the interior of the header box and the exterior of the floor section, said bottom plate having an opening into each of said headers, and partition means between said plates providing an indirect'flow passageway between the openings in said bottom plate communicating with said headers.

8. A floor section adapted to form part of an ice rink comprising a rectangular floor plate, a bottom plate spaced a relatively short distance below said floor plate, side and end walls connecting said floor and bottom plates, walls at each end of said section forming a header box extending transversely thereof and depending below said bottom plate, said header box having an opening centrally disposed in the outer side thereof, and a pair of tubes extending through said header boxes one at each side of said opening, said tubes being adapted to receive bolts for attaching floor sections together, said bottom plate having an opening into each of said headers.

9. A floor section adapted to form part of an ice rink comprising a rectangular floor plate, a bottom plate spaced a relatively short distance below said floor plate, side and end walls connecting said floor and bottom plates, walls at each end of said section forming a header box extending transversely thereof and depending below said bottom plate, said walls including a header end wall at the end of each section provided with a centrally disposed opening, said header end wall being provided on its outer side with an annular recess surrounding the opening, said recess being adapted to receive a gasket, and a pair of tubes extending through said header boxes one at each side of said opening, said tubes being adapted to receive bolts for attaching floor sections together, said bottom plate having an opening into each of said headers.

HERMAN VETTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,069,811 Baer et al. Feb. 9, 1937 2,270,745 Todd Jan. 20, 1942 2,411,919 Zamboni Dec. 3, 1946 

